


By Candlelight

by BuzzedScribbler



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:28:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26311909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuzzedScribbler/pseuds/BuzzedScribbler
Summary: Kotetsu and Barnaby catch up over dinner.Takes place after season 1's epilogue.
Relationships: Barnaby "Bunny" Brooks Jr./Kaburagi T. Kotetsu
Comments: 1
Kudos: 36





	By Candlelight

**Author's Note:**

> I've been lingering around in this fandom for nearly 4 years now, honestly I'm surprised I hadn't done this earlier. Anyway! Just some quick little scenes. Hopefully they're cute. Maybe I'll do something with an actual plot next time :P

The door opens. A blond with loopy, well-attended locks stands in the doorway, mid-knock. Kotetsu throws his arms around him. "Bunny! Thanks for comin' on such short notice!"

Barnaby shrugs off Kotetsu's arms and nods, smiling slightly. "Were you... waiting at the door?"

He is ignored. "Come on in!"

As Barnaby passes through the door frame, he looks up and around at the ceiling; this place used to be like a second home to him, if a messy one. It's nice to be back here.

He catches Kotetsu kicking a beer bottle under the couch. Barnaby pretends not to see that there's way more where that one came from, also hidden underneath. Still, it's sweet that Kotetsu tried to tidy up for him. "Why did you want me over so suddenly?"

Having taken a seat, Kotetsu leans into the cushions behind him. "I dunno. It's been a while! I just wanted to have you over for dinner, to catch up... 'Spoil ya a bit." 

Barnaby smirks at this, and he can feel his cheeks begin to redden. He starts to tease his hair and fluff it to distract himself from it.

The man opposite Barnaby grins; Bunny only does that when he's flustered nowadays, he knows that from their video calls-- so Kotetsu gives himself a pat on the back for having flattered him. Kotetsu slips onto his feet and makes his way towards the kitchen. "I'm gonna get some food goin'. Join me, if you'd like."  
  


Barnaby appears in Kotetsu's vision, leaning against the wall. Kotetsu glances up at him in between the scallions he's dicing. "Hey."

"Hey," Barnaby echoes. Kotetsu is looking down, but from his tone of voice he can tell that his friend is smiling. It's in that hushed hum that Kotetsu has always found so endearing. Kotetsu starts humming a little upbeat diddy to himself.

Barnaby watches him, smiling a little as his partner nods his head in a little dance. Barnaby shakes his head; it's been a long time since they've met in person, and it's hitting him _hard_ how much he missed Kotetsu's little quirks.

Kotetsu catches this, lifting his head. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah. I've just been thinking about how it's been a while."

Kotetsu blinks at him. "Sure has."

Barnaby shifts in place where he stands. The rest of the night better not be like this. "...What have you been up to?"

"Oh, you know. Tryin' to get up to speed with Kaede. ...I've missed so much. Still not completely over all that time I'll never get back, you know?"

"Mmm. I'm sorry."

"But, you know-- as I told you, she likes me better out doin' hero work than sitting around at home." Kotetsu scratches his temple thoughtfully and adds, "You?"

"I've done some traveling, but... I'm glad to be back into hero work."

"You wanted to go back just for the good of it? Damn. I musta made more of an impact on you than I thought."

Barnaby swallows hard. "I... not a chance." He does his best to muster his most sure smile.

Kotetsu bats an eye at him, then goes back to his prep work. Bunny seems pretty content with himself; a massive grin's on his face.

  
  
  


A pale hand places down a pepper shaker. Another hand shoots across the table, scooping it up in one quick swipe.

"Kotetsu!"

Kotetsu looks up at Barnaby innocently while the entirety of his upper body is splayed on top of the table. He grins and shakes the pepper shaker, sending black little flakes across his tan hand.

"You could have just asked me to pass it to you," Barnaby huffs, trying to suppress his smile.

Kotetsu takes his seat. "But you always make such funny faces when I do stuff like that! ...I really missed it." Barnaby snorts and stabs his fork into the bowl of rice in front of him. 

Kotetsu grins, but he’s interrupted mid-wink by the lights going out.

Both sit in place for a moment, silent.

Kotetsu ends up snickering about their situation, and in the low-light, he rises from his seat. "I've got flashlights somewhere. Or maybe a lantern, somethin'." Kotetsu starts loudly futzing around the place and he eventually ends up exploring upstairs. 

Upon coming back down, he plops an industrial flashlight and a fistful of birthday candles onto the table. 

"You have birthday candles?"

"Most people do somewhere."

"Upstairs? In their bedroom?"

"Hey--look, Bun'-- I do like, two big cleanings a year. Everything just kind of goes where it wants to in the meantime."

Barnaby can't help but think about the beer bottles under the couch. He chuckles at that. Then, he scoops up the flashlight and examines it. "Where is the... switch on this thing, Kotetsu?"

Kotetsu immediately swipes it, way too happy that he knows something Barnaby doesn't already know; he flicks an orange switch. Nothing happens. He grunts, then flicks it again. Shakes it.

"I was half expecting it would be dead," Barnaby's tone is cynical, but there's some humor to it. "Do you have batteries?"

Kotetsu shakes his head.

"You didn't even check."

"It's pretty cute that you think that I keep batteries around before something dies."

Barnaby puts his face in his hands.

"Hey, hey, hey, we've got these candles, and I know I've got a working lighter somewhere."

"Oh, great. And you keep that under your pillow?" Barnaby's smiling, but he wasn't sure Kotetsu could see it in the dark; he sure didn't acknowledge it. Kotetsu slips off towards the kitchen.

  
  
  


Kotetsu returns, lighter in his hands. He looks down at his empty bowl, then to Barnaby's, which still has some rice in it. "You done with that, Bunny?"

"Can this wait?"

" _Bunny._ "

Barnaby shrugs. "Yeah, I guess. Have at it."

"Thank you, Bun'." Kotetsu pulls up a chair beside him and sticks the candles into it. He hums, "Maybe this can be a late celebration of your birthday." He lights the candles.

"You are not singing to me."

Mischievous, amber eyes flit about. "Is that a chall--" Kotetsu turns to him, then trails off.

Barnaby is draped sideways on his chair, resting his head on top of the its frame, curls laid out along its sides, candlelight illuminating his face. He's looking up at Kotetsu with a smirk. Barnaby raises his brows. "What was that?"

Kotetsu just blinks at him. "I forget... words."

Barnaby chuckles and stretches out in his chair. "Don't let the mood lighting get to you, now."

"It's... it's not mood lighting! There's--there's no mood lighting!"

"Kotetsu. You're flustered so easily."

"They're birthday candles! Birthday candles are like, super innocent and INHERENTLY unromantic--"

Barnaby lowers his eyelids. "You're blushing."

"S-shut up! I'm dumb, and the candles make your hair glow and make your eyes look all shiny, and I haven't seen you in so long, and I forgot you were so... it's just messing with my head--"

"Kotetsu, I was joking!"

"What? FUCK. But you said--"

Now Barnaby’s looking away, playing with his hair. "...Well, you're definitely a bit-red faced now."

Kotetsu groans. 

"Kotetsu... it's okay." Barnaby does his best to be soothing, and he starts to reach out a hand. Kotetsu withdraws from it.

"I'm sorry. I made everything weird..." Kotetsu blows out the candles and hunches down in his chair. He might as well be underneath the table. "I don't think I can face you right now."

The candles reignite. Kotetsu curses. 

Barnaby rubs Kotetsu's shoulder. "Nice trick candles, Kotetsu."

Kotetsu slumps over more. Barnaby takes the opportunity to wrap an arm around him. He pulls him up into a hug. "Kotetsu... it's fine. I think you look good in the candlelight too, if it helps."

Kotetsu snorts; he halfheartedly tries to shake Barnaby's arm off of him.

Barnaby leans in closer. He's playing with Kotetsu's hair. "I'm flattered that you think I'm handsome."

He leans in to his touch. "I didn't say that..."

"It was implied."

Kotetsu presses his face into Barnaby's chest. "...Add another fangirl onto the pile, Bunny."

Barnaby pecks him on the head. "Mmm. You're a cute one."

Kotetsu snickers and nuzzles further into him. "I really missed you."

Barnaby smiles. "You know, whenever thought about this sort of thing, I always imagined something more... put together. ...And direct."

"Sorry."

"No. This was... it was nice," the latter end of his sentence becomes muffled as he nuzzles into the top of Kotetsu's head, making the other man snicker again. "I think this suits us."


End file.
